


Model Predator

by Freedom_Shamrock



Series: Miraculous Acts of Kindness [2]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Crush, F/M, Friendship, Marichat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-29
Updated: 2017-04-29
Packaged: 2018-10-25 12:54:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10764678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Freedom_Shamrock/pseuds/Freedom_Shamrock
Summary: This takes place a couple months after Picture Purrfect.





	Model Predator

**Author's Note:**

  * For [breeeliss](https://archiveofourown.org/users/breeeliss/gifts).



“Good evening Princess!"  Chat Noir's voice announced his arrival just before he landed on her railing.  Quickly taking note of Marinette's scowl, he stepped down and looked at the sketch pad.  "Oh dear.  Designing evening not going so well?"

She dragged her pencil tip heavily through all the brainstormed designs in rejection.  "Ugh.  No. These are all awful."

He caught her hand before she could turn the page.  "What's wrong with this one?"  He tapped on a doodle in the upper right corner of the page.

She screwed up her face a little and sighed.  "Technically nothing."  Her fingertip outlined the sketch as she explained it.  "It's a simple suit, designed to appeal to young men for nice events that aren't quite formal."

"Date suit," he said.  "I like it.  I'd wear it."

She snorted.  "The biggest problem with that one is that I have no one to model it.  At least not until summer's over.  And I don't want to wait that long.  I have so much work to do to get my portfolio diversified."

"All your friends go backpacking across Spain or something?" he asked, leaning his hip against the table and crossing his arms comfortably.

"Some of them have."  A number of her classmates, Nino included, were starting their gap year with that very hike.  "And the ones who haven't wouldn't really bring it to life in photo format.  They're too shy, **or** too obnoxious…"

"I thought you were friends with that Agreste guy," Chat interrupted.  "Can't you ask him?"

"Adrien?"  She shook her head quickly.

"Not that good a friend?" he asked, sounding a little sad.

"Oh, no.  I could totally ask him, and I'm sure he'd be super nice about it," she explained.  "But I couldn't do that to him."  She sighed.  "I don't think he really enjoys modeling that much, for all that he's incredibly good at it.  He's so busy this summer, and he's probably under some sort of exclusive contract that would make it… hard."  She shook her head again.  "I know he'd want to help me, but I'd hate to make things more difficult for him."

Chat stared at her for a moment, his expression thoughtful.  "Can I volunteer?"

* * *

 

Ladybug crouched on the edge of a roof, watching the latest garishly yellow-and-blue-striped akuma scrawl across a billboard.  She recognized some of the red marks from Alya's copyediting homework.  She felt Chat Noir crawl up next to her.

"What have we got today, Bug?" he whispered.

"Some sort of editor, I think."  She rolled her eyes as the akuma went on to criticize the model as too fat, too flat-chested, and having the features of a hag.  

"A misogynistic editor, by the look of it," Chat added.

"My favorite."  Ladybug grinned at him.  "At least I don't need to feel bad smacking him around."

"Akuma in the pen, you think?" he asked.

"I do."  She squeezed his shoulder once.  "You ready to distract, Chaton?"

"As always."  His nod was half acquiescence, half bow.

"Don't let him hit you with his red pen," she cautioned.  "You need no revision."

Chat's grin turned feral.  "Glad to know."  He scampered across the roof, calling out to the akuma.  "Excuse me, would you read my manuscript?  It's a romantic comedy about a girl and her cat, and my best friend says it's fancatstick!"

"Open quote.  Chat Noir.  Exclamation point."  The akuma paused in his markup of the billboard and posed ostentatiously while he dictated his version of the evil speech at the superhero.  "The Predator-in-Chief would be happy to critique your cute little story.  Comma.  After you hand over your miraculous.  Close quote."

"Why do I feel like you're trying to take advantage of my dreams?" Chat wailed dramatically.

The akuma's sinister smile seemed to concur with the suggestion.  "Open quote.  I'm the expert here.  Comma.  Chat Noir.  Period.  You're going to have to take my word for it.  Period.  Close quote."

"Which 'your' was that?" Chat asked, darting around parked cars to avoid opening himself for a clear shot.  "I always get homonyms mixed up.  There are far **too** many ways **to** spell **two**."

"Open quote.  Use of the incorrect homonym is my greatest pet peeve.  Exclamation point," the Predator-in-Chief howled.  "Open quote.  You ignorant hack.  Period.  Nothing ruins the flow of a good piece more than the wrong word.  Period."

"Really?"  Chat popped up on the roof of a car for a moment, posing as though he was considering the advice.  "I've always found shoddy character development more purroblematic."

Ladybug swung in from behind the akuma, reaching down to snatch the pen out of his hand.  "I just got the best idea and really need to borrow a pen.  Thanks!"  Alighting on the next rooftop over, she snapped it in half.  Her yoyo shot out and captured the dark purple butterfly.  "Gotchya."  As the red healing ladybugs restored the posters, billboards, and individuals that had been revised, she dropped down beside her partner.  "Great job, as always."  She held out her fist to him.

Grinning, he bowed.  "Always glad to be of service, Milady."  He tapped his fist to hers as he straightened up.

"Could you handle clean up?" she asked.  "I'm supposed to be meeting someone for a project at this very moment, and I should avoid being any later than I already am."

Chat nodded.  "Can do."  He waved her off.  "Go do your thing, Bug.  I'll catch you later."

* * *

 

While waiting for Chat to handle the akuma aftercare, she laid out the pieces she'd altered since his last visit as well as a couple of new ones that she wanted to check the fit on.  She was a little worried that admission boards would be put off by Chat Noir modeling her young adult line, but she was willing to risk it.  He'd turned out to be perfect on both sides of the camera.  So instead of saving up for one big photoshoot with Alya, where she'd probably look stiff as a board, they were taking photos every other week, and Chat was coaching her into poses that really showed off the outfits she had to model herself.   
She heard Chat's boots on her balcony and a gentle knock at the open skylight before he called down.  "Sorry I'm late Princess.  May I come in?"

"Sure."  She smiled at him as he swung in, bypassing her bed and ladder with his usual flourish.  "I saw there was an akuma, so I knew you'd be a little late."

"Ooooh!"  He pointed at her black pants and silvery camisole.  "What are you wearing?  Are we going to match?"  He glanced at the chaise, which had become the usual staging area.

"Well, I figured that there might be some gals who prefer a date suit to a dress.  With a couple darts, and a bit of tweaking at the waist, it turned out really nice.  I only made one, just to show off the versatility of the design."

"Can I see?"  He looked around, spotting the red jacket on her dress form.  "Shiny red?  Good choice."

"Thanks.  Yours is that shiny green one that matched your eyes so well."  He'd had good recommendations and advice on colors and fabrics, though he admitted he was clueless about the designing process itself.  "Do you want to do alterations first, or photos?"

"Duty first," he suggested.  "The pictures are always a nice reward."

There was a knock on her trap door.  "Marinette?" her mother called up.  "I've got some snacks for you and your guest."

"How did she even know?" Marinette muttered.  "You just got here."  She walked over and yanked open the door.

Her mother beamed and came up the rest of the way.  "I know you two have been working hard, and snacks are always great to keep you going."  She slid a tray with treats  and glasses of milk onto the desk.

"Actually, Chat **just** got here," Marinette explained.  "But thank you."

Her mom patted her shoulder.  "There was that akuma attack before, though, and that's hungry work."

"Thank you Mrs. Cheng," Chat said, reaching out and snatching up a pain au chocolate.  "I **love** these."

"I'll keep that in mind," her mother promised.

"Oh, you don't have to," he insisted.

Her mother chuckled.  "Of course I do, dear.  We like you.  We want you to feel at home here."

Oh god.  She was going **that** direction again.  "All right.  Thanks, Maman."  Marinette tried to usher her mother out of the room.  "We have a ton to do, though, so…"

Her mother patted her shoulder before turning back to Chat from the top of the stairs.  "You know, we always thought Marinette would end up with that nice Adrien boy.  Shows what I know."  Then she winked and headed down the stairs.

"Maman!"

**Author's Note:**

> This was written in response to a Tumblr post [here](https://squirrellygirlart.tumblr.com/post/160090522213/hey-my-followers-miraculous-acts-of-kindness). I was already following breeeliss [on Tumblr](http://breeeliss.tumblr.com/) and [here on AO3](http://archiveofourown.org/users/breeeliss/pseuds/breeeliss), and you should check out their work. 
> 
> I tried to do this as a 30 minute speedwrite, but between kid interruptions and the fact that I'm not nearly as witty as I want to be, I couldn't quite make it work in that time frame.


End file.
